Curtain holder



APll v11', 1939- J. H. HECKMAN' v 2,154,161

CURTAIN HOLDER Filed Sept. 8, 1958 I Patented Apr. 11, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 7 Claims.

This invention relates to a curtain holder, and more particularly to an improved holder of the type adapted to maintain a curtain in drawn position adjacent a Casement.

One feature of this invention is that it enables a curtain to be very quickly and conveniently drawn and held to one side of a window, door, or the like; another feature of this invention is that the holding means does not require looping, fastening, or the like, the curtain being merely placed in a hook-like member; yet another feature of this invention is that the holder is adapted, when inoperative, to be placed in a position out of the way or normally out of sight; a further 1li` feature of this invention is that locking means is provided for holding the member in inoperative position; other features and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the following specification and the drawing, in which:

Figure l is an elevation view of my invention in inoperative position; Figure 2 is a view of the device illustrated in Figure 1, but shown in operative position; Figure 3 is a fragmentary bottom plan view; Figure 4 is a view along the line 4-4 of Figure 3; Figure 5 is a detail view showing the movement of the holding member with respect to the connecting member; Figure 6 is a partial view of a modification of my invention; and Figure 7 is a view along the line 1-1 of Figure 6.

Where curtains depend loosely in a window or door it is frequently desirable to draw them to one side. This may become desirable, for example, to keep curtains from blowing out of a window; or to facilitate movement through a door. Heretofore, stationary hooklike members were sometimes used for different purposes, but these generally provided an undesirable appearance when not in use or a chain or cord was adapted to be passed around the curtain and fastened,

'but this required considerable manipulation, and

was also sometimes unsightly by reason of the cord or the like hanging down when not in use.

My present invention achieves the function of previous devices in drawing a curtain of the loosely depending type, without their attendant disadvantages. It comprises a base adapted to be fastened to the easement adjacent the curtain, and a hook-like member arranged to be swung down into a position where the curtain can be conveniently laid therein; or swung up into an inoperative position parallel to and closely adjacent the surface of the easement, in which position it takes up little room and is normally concealed.

The word curtain as used herein, is intended to Adenote any loosely depending fabric, as a window curtain, a drape, a portiere, or the like; easement is intended to define the moulding or framework around a window or door, or any other surface adjacent a curtain; and when the curtain is spoken of as being in drawn position, it is meant that it is gathered up, generally to one side. Moreover, the general and normal arrangement of a curtain is such that it extends out several inches over the easement to the side thereof, thus covering a device of the kind here disclosed; for the purposes of better showing my device, however, it is here illustrated as immediately adjacent but not covered by the curtain.

In the particular embodiment of my invention illustrated herewith, a loosely depending curtain I0 is shown adjacent but not covering a Casement II. The easement has mounted thereon, as by screws or the like, a base member I2 having movably mounted therein a hook-shaped holding member I3. In Figure 1 the holding member is shown in inoperative position, parallel to and closely adjacent the surface of the casement Il; while in Figure 2 the holder is shown in operative position encircling the drawn curtain II).

Referring more particularly to Figures 3, 4 and 5, the holding member I3 is shown as pivotally mounted on a pivot pin I4 on a connecting member I5. The connecting member is in turn pivotally mounted in the base member I2, as by the pivot pin I6.

The connecting member I5 is relatively short, terminating at a distance from the pivot pin I6 less than the distance of the outer edge of the 'base I2. The bottom of the connecting member is provided with a cam surface Il best seen in Figure 4, and adapted to cooperate with spring means in the form of a resilient strip I8. The arrangement of the cooperating cam surface and spring means is such that although the connecting member may be readily moved' in a vertical plane about the pivot pin I 6 it is yieldingly locked in a vertical or a horizontal position.

The pivot pin I4 is arranged at right angles with respect to the pivot pin IE, so that although the connecting member is adapted to move in a vertical plane the holding member moves, with respect to the connecting member, in a plane at right angles to such other plane. Moreover, as may be best seen in Figures 4 and 5, the joint at the connection between the two members is such that the holding member is adapted to move only through an arc of substantially ninety degrecs, as from the position in solid lines in Figure 5 to the position shown in dotted lines, and vice versa. The base is provided with a slot I9, adapted to receive the connecting member and the immediately adjacent enlarged portion of the holding member when the parts are in inoperative position.

It will be understood that the direction of movement of the parts has been dened with respect to the position of the device as shown in the figures; and these directions and planes of movement are to be construed with respect to the position in which the device may be used, rather than as absolute directions. Moreover, while the holding member' has preferably only a ninety degree movement with respect to the connecting member, the arc of such movement would be arranged in accordance with which side of the curtain the device was to be used. That is, right and `left hand devices would be symmetrical but not identical.

In use, the device would be attached to the casement very near the edge thereof, and usually covered by the edge of the curtain. In inoperative position, it would be at against the casement, occupying little or no space; when it is desired to draw the curtain the holding member would be grasped and rst pulled downwardly in a vertical plane, and then moved to one side in a horizontal plane to the position shown in Figure 2. The curtain would then be pulled over and dropped into the hook-shaped member, as shown. When it is desired to return it to inoperative position, it is only necessary to remove the curtain, swing the holding member over and upwardly, and the device will again be locked in the position shown in Hgure 1.

In the I nodiiled form of my invention shown in Figures 6 and 7 a base member 20 is similarly adapted to be fastened to a casement adjacent a curtain, as by screws 2l. In this modification there is only one pivoted member, the hookshaped holding member 22 having a shank portion 23 movable with respect to the base between the positions shown in full and dotted lines in Figure 7. 'The connection between the base and holding member here comprises a. pivot pin 24 in the base engaged by a slot 25 in the shank 23. The base is provided at the back thereof, immediately .adjacent the easement, with a stop Ymember or plate 265. This plate is so positioned that when the parts are in the position shown in full lines in Figure 7 the holding member is locked against movement; but when the holding member is lifted upwardly to bring the bottom of the slot 25 to the pivot pin 24 it may be swung downwardly to the position shown in dotted lines in Figure '7.

While I have shown and described certain embodiments of my invention, it is to be understood that it is capable of many modications. Changes, therefore, in the construction and arrangement may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as disclosed in the appended claims, in which it is my intention to claim all novelty inherent in my invention as broadly as permissible, in view of the prior art.

I claim:

1. Apparatus of the character described, including: a base adapted to be placed on a casement adjacent a curtain; a hook-shaped holding member adapted, when in operative position perpendicular to said Casement, to retain said curtain in drawn position; and a connecting member mounting said holding member on said base, said connecting member being pivotally mounted on said base for movement in a vertical plane perpendicular to the surface of the easement on which the base is mounted and said two members being pivotally connected to permit movement of said holding member in a plane perpendicular to that of said connecting member.

2. Apparatus of the character described, including: a base adapted to be placed on a casement adjacent a curtain; a hook-shaped holding member adapted, when lin operative position perpendicular to said easement, to retain said curtain in drawn position; a connecting member mounting said holding member on said base, said connecting member being pivotally mounted on said base for movement in a vertical plane and said two members being pivotally connected to permit movement of said holding member in a plane perpendicular to that of said connecting member, whereby said members may be moved between operative position and inoperative position parallel to and closely adjacent said casement; and means for yieldingly locking said members in inoperative position.

3. Apparatus of the character claimed in claim 2, wherein said locking means includes spring means and a slot in said base adapted to receive said connecting member and a portion of said holding member and prevent relative movement between said members.

4. Apparatus of the character claimed in claim V 5. Apparatus of the character described, in-

cluding: a base member adapted to be placed on a easement adjacent a curtain; a holding member adapted to retain said curtain in drawn position; and means mounting said holding member on said base for movement between operative position and inoperative position parallel to and closely adjacent said easement, said means` comprising a pivot pin on one of said members and a slot in the other of said members in engagement with said pin.

6. Apparatus of the character described, includingza base member adapted to be placed on a Casement adjacent a curtain; a holding member adapted to retain said curtain in drawn position; means mounting said holding member on said base for movement between operative position and inoperative position parallel to and closely adjacent said casement, said means comprising a pivot pin on one of said members and a slot in the other of said members in engagement with said pin; and means for locking said member in inoperative position, said means comprising a stop element soplaced as to prevent pivotal movement of said holding member with respect to said base member when said pivot pin is positioned at one end of said slot.

7. Apparatus of the character described, including: a base adapted to be placed on a casement adjacent a curtain; a hook-shaped holding member adapted, when in operative position perpendicular to said Casement, to retain said curtain in drawn position; vand means mounting said holding member on said base for movement between operative position and inoperative position parallel to and `closely adjacent said Casement, said mounting means including means for yieldingly locking said 'member in inoperative position.

JOSEPH H. HECKMAN. 

